Eight years after he first beat Roger Federer to claim the US Open title, Juan Martin del Potro defeated the Swiss 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 yet again playing what he described as his “best match of the tournament.”
This means that the US Open will once again be denied a meeting between Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard already qualified for the semi-final defeating Russian Andrey Rublev earlier in the day.
Speaking after the loss, Federer said he “never felt good going into the tournament”.
“I never felt good in my body and in my mind. It was clear, why I struggled,” he told reporters.
Del Potro defeated Dominic Thiem in Round 4 in an epic five-setter, where he came up from being two sets down to take the match. He will now meet Nadal in the semi-final on Friday.
AFP adds:
For 36-year-old Federer, it was the first Slam loss of 2017. He had captured the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles earlier this year to take his career tally to 19.
"I served really good. I hit my forehand as hard as I could and I played a great match. I deserved to win," said Del Potro, who will be in his first Slam semi-final since Wimbledon in 2013.
"This feels like my home court. I played Rafa here in 2009 too. Hopefully, I can get the same result on Friday."
Del Potro, whose career came under a threat last year after he had to undergo four wrist surgeries, wrapped up the first set thanks to a break in the 11th game that he secured with a blistering cross-court pass.
Nadal will take an 8-5 record over Del Potro into the semi-final, where the winner will face either Kevin Anderson or Pablo Carreno Busta for the title.
I deserved to beat Federer, says Juan Martin Del Potro
